Nate Burns

Hi! My name is Nate, I am a professional guitarist and educator with a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance, based in Long Beach, California. 

As a performer and collaborator, I maintain an active career working with artists on tours, recordings, and live performances across the U.S.. I recently completed an East Coast tour with Afro-soul artist Hugo De La Lune and contributed as a producer and multi-instrumentalist—guitar, keys, vibraphone, and percussion—on his album Coda, scheduled for release in February 2026. I will also be performing alongside Hugo De La Lune at SFJAZZ in February 2026.

My teaching approach emphasizes structured, goal-oriented learning while remaining flexible and responsive to each student’s interests. In my experience, students make the most progress when lessons have a clear sense of direction, so I work with students to track their development over time and recognize meaningful milestones along the way. At the same time, I aim to keep lessons fun and inspiring, helping students stay excited about music. Some students want to focus on reading, theory, and technique; others want to improvise, play by ear, learn songs, or develop stylistic authenticity. We can work on any combination of these.